Hong Kong has a high quality and all-encompassing public healthcare system which is run, at low cost to the patient, by the HKSAR government through various subsidies. Health insurance, including Maternity insurance, is not a necessity in Hong Kong due to the public system.
However, Hong Kong’s public healthcare system is increasingly being hampered by the same issues which are afflicting public medical systems around the world. Like the United Kingdom’s National Healthcare Service (NHS), the Hong Kong public medical system is becoming more prone to disproportionate waiting times, increased bureaucracy, and excessive overcrowding; in part due to an ageing population but also because of increased interest developing from Chinese nationals living in the People’s Republic of China.
A public maternity hospital, such as the Queen Mary, can provide satisfactory treatment and delivery options, but the facilities may not be as pleasant as those which can be found at a corresponding private facility, such as the Hong Kong Sanatorium. While this is not a significant detriment, especially when factored on top of the discounts available at Public Hospitals for patients paying their bills with an Octopus Card, the quality of care and attention to detail with reference to the patient are normally much higher at private medical facilities in the city.
Hong Kong Health and Maternity Insurance coverage is not a necessity, but can mean a more pleasant healthcare experience within the city, and can mean that in the event of a serious emergency at birth the child and the mother will have access to superior standards and options for their care.
